What a shame,
every year @ this time there is an annual bike event called the "flood run".
It began some years ago when bikers (and others) got together, headed for all the threatened river cities here along the upper Mississippi river, and helped sand bag.
It has become quite the event around the Twin Cities and all the little towns scattered about on the river. There are tee shirt stands, dealers have trailers set up in a town or two, its just an all out tradition.
There are probably 15 thousand bikes make the trek.

I live about 7 miles south of Prescott, WI (on State highway 35 which is a nicely laid out 2 lane) and about 11a.m. yesterday I headed for Red Wing ,MN.

I waited for a "break" in one of the groups of bikes, hopped in line, and headed south. I saw lots of cops along the 18 mile stretch I rode, at way sides leaning on the fronts of cars, just making their presence known (which is cool) and letting the people enjoy.

I do my buissiness in Red Wing and am headed home about 11:45 , As I get about 1 1/2 miles from my house the bikes I meet are all givin me the "slow it down" gestures (I wasn't speeding).
As I go over noll, I see emergency vehicles everywhere on a sweeping, wide open bend in the road where County road E intersects with highway 35.
One of the riders was detouring traffic out on to county road E and traffic was eeking thru from the north.
I stopped, and we started talking (good time for a smoke anyway) about what had happened.

He said the gal in the car pulled out into on coming bike traffic (running about 60 mph or so) and one was killed, and another hurt pretty badly. It sounded like she got 2 bikes with single riders. I headed up a little closer as I needed to get another mile and 1/2 up the road was all (and the detour took me about 8 miles out of my way), saw them trying to get her out of the car, and said ta hell with it and took the detour.

Now mind you, cars approaching 35 from E (they have a stop sign as E ends right there) have damn near 1/4 mile visibility in both directions, its a beautiful sunny morning, and how do you not see 1/2 mile string of bikes approaching when they are damn near on top of you.

We who live out here anticipate a bike fatality or 2 a year, based on the terrain, speed, some beverages involved, whatever the case may be, but this is so sad, for it looked to be so unecessary.

Everyone who rides I believe understands the risks involved, but I don't think about it until I see something this damn foolish happen.

Sorry for makin a short story long, but damn.

Ride safe.........

 

Sad to hear. Cagers scare me.....could texting be the problem?

 

Here's an article I found on this accident... I rode by it while they were loading on ambulances, and it was pretty sad. It really took the air out of an otherwise beautiful ride. Why can't people drive (any vehicle) in a safe manner?

http://www.rivertowns.net/daily/rfj/c100417/#s100417a

 

That was the first thing I asked myself,
and then thought I probably shouldn't go to near her for I would want to beat her death with the phone if indeed that was the case..

 

that sucks

 

Not discounting the accident, but It actually pisses me off that these people promote Alcohol use on a Motorcycle Run.

 

bummer

 

No doubt Jon,
I just celebrated 22 years sobriety March 24th, and all though I am far from an AA thumper, I am amazed that the No Name saloon in Prescott serves up the amount of infamous bloody mary's they do from about 10 a.m. on the day of the run. My sister used to bar tend there and the stories she has told.........
We have all had experiences on a bike I suspect when sober, let alone adding some alcohol.

 

How far down did you go brgtr3? There is some sweet travelin all the way down to LaCrosse, and any of the back roads-small towns through out.

 

I rode from the start at Beach Bar in Lakeland, MN down through Prescott and finished up at Nelson, WI before crossing over to Wabasha and heading north on Highway 61. It was a great day to ride, and put on 210 miles RT from Minneapolis.

Actually, I went to college in Winona back in late 70's, and my son currently lives in La Crosse, so I'm familiar with a lot of those roads. You're right: awesome back roads down there!